7 Administrative requirements for ships not using the SAR data provider system

  7.1 The procedure described in this paragraph is that for ships not using the SAR data provider system - that is, passenger ships on fixed routes, such as ferries. These ships and/or their operators will work with the relevant SAR services to complete and maintain a SAR co-operation plan drawn up in accordance with the framework set out in appendix 1 of these Guidelines. The first flow diagram in appendix 3 illustrates this process. The procedure for ships which are using the SAR data provider system is described in section 8 below.

  7.2 In order to compile a SAR co-operation plan in accordance with appendix 1 of these Guidelines, the ship or the company should contact one of the SAR services responsible for the area in which the ship operates.

  7.3 The ship or company and the SAR services each complete their own sections of the framework. The ship or company is responsible for providing the information in module 1 'The company' and module 2 'The ship(s)'. The SAR services are responsible for providing the introductory paragraphs, module 3 'The RCCs' and module 4 'SAR facilities'. It is recommended that neighbouring SAR services each hold copies of the others' modules of information, so that the ship or company need only contact one SAR service in order to complete the whole co-operation plan.

  7.4 Module 5 'Media relations' and module 6 'Periodic exercises' should be considered jointly. Module 5 is intended to contain brief details of how the company and the SAR services will co-ordinate their response to news media interest in any emergency and should include contact details for their respective press/public relations officers. The requirements of module 6, appendix 1, are considered in more detail in section 9 below.

  7.5 Copies of the completed co-operation plan should be distributed to each of the three parties to emergency response - the ship, the company and the relevant SAR services. A controlled distribution system should be used to ensure that all parties maintain an up-to-date copy.

  7.6 The co-operation plan should be written in:

• .1 the on-board working language(s) of the passenger ship; and

• .2 English and, if agreed, a language or languages commonly used by the ship, the company and the SAR services.

 The aim is that all those likely to need to refer to the co-operation plan should have a copy readily available in a language in which they are fluent. The co-operation plan may be provided and distributed electronically if agreed between the ship, the company and the SAR services.

  7.7 SAR co-operation plans, once they have been agreed for a particular ship, should be recognised by the SAR services of all Administrations.

  7.8 The originator of each module of the co-operation plan (the ship, company or SAR service, as appropriate) is responsible for keeping it up-to-date and ensuring that all those holding controlled copies of the module are advised of changes. Each holder of a controlled copy of the co-operation plan is responsible for making and recording notified changes.

  7.9 All parties should know where the controlled copies of the SAR co-operation plan are held. Each SAR co-operation plan should therefore contain a controlled distribution list; and each party to it should ensure that all relevant staff is aware of its existence, where it is stored and how it may be used.